Gaming pause at Saipan casino after surveillance offline

Jan 28, 2019 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World  

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The company behind the casino at the Imperial Pacific Resort (pictured) on Saipan says it was forced to shut down gaming operations last week because of a glitch in the surveillance system. Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC says it temporarily closed the casino on the western Pacific island for what appears to be about half a day from last Thursday morning until Thursday afternoon.

The company is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd and issued a written statement saying concern for “safety” was the overriding factor behind the temporary closure, although it didn’t specify what it meant by the phrase.

“Due to safety concerns, and because the casino had very little [sic] to no patrons in the early morning hours, the decision was made to close the casino until the surveillance system was operational,” the statement said.

In reporting the closure, two newspapers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the United States possession of which Saipan forms a part, say Imperial Pacific International denied any suggestion that a disgruntled former employee may have sabotaged the surveillance system. The newspapers quoted a spokesman for the casino operator as saying: “No one from IT or surveillance was fired or laid off”.

The company announced last week that Cui Li Jie had assumed the leadership of its board, replacing Xia Yuki Yu. Imperial Pacific International said Ms Xia had resigned with immediate effect but did not have a complaint with the board or the company.

Earlier filings had indicated Ms Cui, 60, controlled about 90.76 billion shares in Imperial Pacific International. Last March, Forbes magazine estimated her net worth was US$1.1 billion, making her among the top-2,000 richest people in the world at that time.

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